Voltage Response of Primary Resonance of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS Clamped Circular Plate Resonators

Abstract

This paper investigates the voltage–amplitude response of soft alternating current (AC) electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) clamped circular plates for sensing applications. The case of soft AC voltage of frequency near half natural frequency of the plate is considered. Soft AC produces small to very small amplitudes away from resonance zones. Nearness to half natural frequency results in primary resonance of the system, which is investigated using the method of multiple scales (MMS) and numerical simulations using reduced order model (ROM) of seven terms (modes of vibration). The system is assumed to be weakly nonlinear. Pullin instability of the voltage–amplitude response and the effects of detuning frequency and damping on the response are reported.